Mr. Joe O'Connor:

I might defer the question on different sectors to Ms Cox and Mr. Barnes because I do not think they have yet commented on that part of the discussion. As for the research, the Deputy is absolutely correct. Comparing a call centre and its productivity to that of a retail unit or that of a software development company would not work. We are keen to design productivity metrics that are relevant at the company level and, therefore, we work directly with companies to determine the most appropriate metrics for them and how they will determine the success of the trial. That might vary for different companies and it might be sales or service standards.

We also need to ensure the data are nationally comparable, so we are using national indicators that are currently used in Ireland to determine productivity and output, and we are keen to ensure this will be internationally comparable, so we are examining how those broad productivity metrics can be compared. We are trying to get the balance right between the company level, the national level and the international level. We are working with a research team led by Professor Juliet Schor, economist and sociologist at Boston College, who has been researching working time and the future of work since the 1990s, and Dr. Orla Kelly, assistant professor at University College Dublin. We are confident we will have the results from the first phase of the research project in September or October of next year and we hope to run further trials thereafter. We will produce a full research report into the three phases of the trial, probably at some point in 2023. We will be delighted to keep in touch with the committee as that unfolds.